Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Gimmicks and Glamour

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Ashly Harris has a secret she's been keeping all her life.

To everyone else, she's just a seventeen-year-old party girl and problem senior at Hackley High School. She has always felt alone, and not just because she's biracial and openly bisexual. Ashly sees faeries all around her, all the time. She has learned to hide her Sight, but that doesn't change the fact that she is constantly taking the blame for the havoc that the faeries wreak. The only person who knows about Ashly's ability is her eccentric, yet level-headed best friend, Caris, who might be playing along while also playing with Ashly's feelings.

As Ashly speeds toward graduation with few future prospects on the horizon, she must protect the classmates she claims to hate from an evil that no one else sees.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      August 15, 2023
      San Diego high school senior Ashly Harris just wants to play tennis, but the faeries keep ruining it for her. Her whole life, Ashly has seen mischievous, green-skinned creatures with wings that no one else believes are real. When they play pranks, the humans around Ashly blame her; her supposed bad behavior has earned her poor grades, disqualification from the tennis team, and therapy. So now she lies to make the adults in her life happy, especially her Black dad and white mom, who don't understand Ashly's bisexuality either. No wonder she's "pissed off all the time" and can only be herself around her best friend, Caris. In Ashly's confessional narration, the occasional turn of phrase is a bit much--it's hard to imagine a jilted suitor's face turning "a shade redder than my period blood"--but more often her thoughts provide trenchant observations about her experiences. She describes faerie identity politics as being similar to "being biracial. Everyone wants you to pick a side, but no one wants you on their side." This is an accessible story with an interesting premise: The fantasy metaphor for Ashly's adolescent alienation and despair works well and livens up the plot, especially when a revelation draws Ashly into the throes of a faerie war as well as a rewarding queer romance. A relatable fantasy weaving in real-life issues. (Fantasy. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading